It has become almost standard for the spinning mill to re-comb tops of fine (<21μm) wool irrespective of whether the top is dyed. Although expensive the improved spinning performance is claimed to outweigh the cost. Re-combing is also much better than gilling for achieving a uniform blend of different colours or with synthetics. On modern drawing machinery only 3 or 4 gillings of the top are required and any extra doubling and drafting stages (other than needed for blending) are better carried out when the sliver is thin and fibre control better, that is, at the roving rather than early stages.

It is possible to produce a singles yarn that is directly weavable without two-folding by spinning two separated strands (Sirospun) or by splitting the one strand into multiple components (Solospun). The latter allows slightly finer yarns than two-folding but the main advantages are in cost savings from removing a twisting step. The resultant yarns are leaner than two-fold yarns and still have uni-directional twist but the surface fibres are more strongly bound than for a singles yarn.

Yarns of lower hairiness and slightly higher tenacity can be produced using compact or condensed spinning. Here the strand is compacted with air in an additional zone after drafting but before twist is inserted. This gives improved spinning performance but the yarn is not sufficiently abrasion-resistant for use as a warp yarn in weaving.

Collapsed balloon spinning is also available in which the yarn balloon is caught by a crown or bent finger on top of the spindle and winds partly around the bobbin. This greatly reduces the tension on the forming yarn above the spindle although the tension is higher at the traveller. Higher spinning speeds are possible but the empty bobbin tubes need to be of larger diameter and doffing is more complex. Smaller diameter rings are used for finer yarns and diameters have reduced over time because smaller rings allow higher speeds but less yarn fits on the bobbin and so more doffing, pieceing and splicing are required.

Automation has steadily increased with automatic doffing now routine. Ends-down detection is available as well as roving stop motions and spinning speeds can be adjusted according to the level of end-breakage. The bobbins can be automatically conveyed to a linked steamer and/or winder and such systems can monitor and report on which spindles are producing faulty yarn using clearer sensors which can measure evenness and hairiness. Splicing has generally replaced knotting on the winder with hot air splicing (Thermosplicer®) being particularly effective.

Synthetic filaments such as polyester and acrylic can be blended after being cut or broken to a similar length to the wool although they may be dyed separately before blending. Bi-component blends can be made on the spinning frame using Sirospun and attachments are also available to feed a continuous filament, such as an elastomer to impart stretch, behind the front roller. Although slow, ring spinning is dominant for wool yarns. Self-twist spinning has a small presence for hosiery yarns. Open-end or rotor spinning is used for some wool/cotton blends but the fibre must be shortened to match the size of the cotton rotors and fibre handling systems. Air-jet, including Vortex, spinning has been tried but is not in widespread use. Friction or DREF spinning is used for some coarse multi-fibre blends. In general, these competing systems cannot produce yarns which are as strong or with as few fibres in the yarn cross-section.